Employers to look for workers at job fair

April 2, 2014

ELKINS - More than 50 employers, including the FBI, the Robert C. Byrd Institute and many state and federal agencies, will be looking for new employees at a job fair Friday.

The event will be presented by the Randolph County Development Authority from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McDonnell Center at Davis & Elkins College.

The fair is also sponsored by The Inter-Mountain and the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce.

"We are just shy of 60 employers right now and expect some more through the end of the week," said Robbie Morris, executive director of the Randolph County Development Authority.

Dozens of local employers, including resorts, industries and stores, will have booths and recruiters at the job fair.

"They are coming from our region and throughout the state, and they represent a wide variety of industries," Morris said. "Last year we had some from Virginia but the vast majority are within our workforce, with some others that are sprinkled throughout West Virginia."

The job fair is free to the public and attendees are encouraged to come dressed for success, bring copies of their resumes and be prepared to interview on location. While not all employers will hold interviews on location, many will be prepared to conduct interviews with potential candidates on site.

"This is a completely free event for both sides," Morris said. "We (Development Authority) view this as our primary role to help get people employed."

Morris said the event is a good way for employers to locate employees, and also gives those looking for a job or career change the chance to meet with a variety of employers in one location.

"One of the interesting things I hear from employers is that there are not enough employees, and I also hear from (potential) employees that there are not enough jobs," Morris said. "The important thing is to put the two together and this provides a good opportunity for them to match up. The true value is that you can visit a lot of different employers, from a wide array of industries, all in one spot. I don't know how long it would take to visit all 60 employers separately."

Morris said the job fair is not just for people who are unemployed, but also a good opportunity for those who are looking for a better job or a new industry all together.

"Our goal is to lower the unemployment rate, raise the median household income and just try to continually improve the economy in Randolph County," Morris said.